Helan och Halvan

Learnt this new and crucial bit of Swedish today; I have a small Swedish friend who calls me 'Half' in reference to my half breed status, with myself of course calling her 'Whole'. Now I find from another of our countryfolk that in the motherland, Laurel and Hardy go by the name 'Helan och Halvan' - whole and half, and so we have a precedent! Great title, there must be a painting in there somewhere...

While I am thinking of lost in translation moments, I had another great misreading today - I keep seeing words wrong on posters, cars products etc. which I am convinced is the beginning of the onset of some form of premature dementia (or I am being lazy). I read 'Pouncing yogurt'; the packaging actually said 'Pouring yoghurt'. I love the idea of a yogurt pouncing...scary breakfast that would be:)

Relishing my newly moved-about living room tonight; I am amazed at how different and roomy it seems and truly stunned that we haven't moved anything for about five years - I used to be the queen of the remodel, moving my rooms around every six months or so. Must have got old and comfy in my surroundings. Having said that, this is fast coming close to being the longest I have stayed in one house.. ever!! Only a few years to go and I have overtaken my house of childhood, and ever since then I have averaged something awful which I imagine is under a year per house; I blame the nomadic blood on my father's side. There must be something in it as I also have a total fascination with tents and would more than happily sleep outside regularly if convention and location allowed. Roger Deakin, writer, naturalist, conservationist, all-round good egg (sadly now deceased) used to sleep regularly in a railway carriage on his land; sooooo jealous. Just to be totally alone and to hear all the noises and see all the light changes away from the electric power; bliss. I used to love the sound of rain on the flat roof of my bedroom as a child and thought that was the best thing about my room; that and the fact that it was at the other end of the bungalow from everyone else; the loner in me was already in place....

Looking at getting some business cards done for my artistic life; spent my dayjobday thinking about it today and mentally designing things; also coming up with yet more leaf-headed angels for the little box canvases. I never expected to enjoy doing this many multiple paintings for commercial gain alone; but then the fact is that, despite these all being for sale for Christmas, I love every one of them as I do it and have seriously contemplated hanging onto a few for the house! Part of the remodel of the living room is also to do with getting some of our Vietnam paintings and work by other artists up; it is going to be one cool gallery in there soon and that will be great just to sit in and relax, read, think. I love what we have gradually made of our funny little house/flat, which I only bought out of necessity as it was pretty much all we could afford. Somehow it has become pretty much all we want. Not a bad thing at all being skint for two years as it happens; probably the most positive and educational thing that could have happened to us.